Emaar Middle East, a subsidiary of Dubai’s Emaar Properties, has awarded a contract to the local Azmeel Contracting & Construction Corporation to build the next phase of its Jeddah Gate development in Saudi Arabia.

The local contractor will build three residential towers for the Abraj al-Hilal phase 2 of the Jeddah development. The contractor will begin construction work in May 2013, with the handover of the residential units to customers scheduled for the first quarter of 2016.

The three towers will have 17 to 21 floors, with apartments ranging in size from 98 to 449 square metres. The towers will also contain amenities such as retail areas and outdoor swimming pools.

Emaar handed over units for the first phase of the Abraj al-Hilal development in late 2012. The Jeddah Gate development will cover a total area of 400,000 sq m, and is located to the main railroad, which will link the two holy cities of Mecca and Medina to Jeddah.

It is the second major construction contract that Azmeel has been awarded in 2013. In March, the contractor was awarded a SR1bn ($260m) contract to build 800 villas for employees at Jubail Industrial City.